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Deal Castle
In 1539, fearing a seaborne invasion from the allied Catholic countries, Henry VIII designed and had built three castles to protect the stretch of Kent coast known as the Downs. They represented the first coastal defences erected along this coastline since the Saxon Shore forts nearly 1300 years previously.
The castles were named, north to south, Sandown, Deal and Walmer. The former was largely demolished in the nineteenth century, and today all that remains is a fragment built into the sea defences.
Deal and Walmer, however, survive - and on July 13th, us Friends descended upon them, complete with packed lunches, guide books and a lot of children! Adults were Anne, Bob, Shaun, Alison, Co, Caz, Chris and Mark. As is common on our trips, they were outnumbered by the children, who numbered an impressive nine.
Deal Castle retains its air of military austerity. Its thick, squat semi-circular bastions were designed to deflect shot, and openings existed for as many as 145 guns. Shortly after construction it played host to Anne of Cleves after her landing in this country, on her way to wed the King. A historical society were re-enacting this visit during our exploration, a fitting parallel to the undoubted importance of OUR arrival.
Deal never actually suffered foreign attack, although it provided a hospital for injured Spanish when a Dutch-Spanish sea battle raged off the coast on 11 October 1639. It finally saw action in 1648 during the English Civil War when its Royalist garrison, in 1648, was beseiged by the parliamentarian Colonel Rich. The seige lasted from 12 July until 25 August, the garrison only surrendering after learning of the Royalist defeat at Preston. By the 1700's Deal had declined in importance as a fortification, although it continued to be manned and was altered to provide more comfort in the late 1720s. It ceased to be garrisoned after the Napoleonic Wars and was used only as the residence of the Captain of Deal, a title which - like the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports - was now a status symbol rather than a military post. The Captain's Lodging was extended, and ultimately became the only part of the castle to be destroyed in warfare - by a Luftwaffe bomb! By 1945, the military history of Deal Castle had come to an end.
One can imagine (struggling through that maze of narrow corridors), how difficult it would have been for an enemy, having breached the castle, to actually fight the defenders. Even the acoustics were disorientating - we could hear the sounds of our exploring kids, without having any idea of how far or close they actually were!
Our second visit, a mile to the south, was to Walmer Castle.
report by Anne B
photos by Shaun , Alison R and Caz
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